In the case of Bonnie L. Geissal v. Moore Medical Corporation et al., 1997, the U.S Supreme Court ruled that an individual can be covered by more than one group health insurance policy at a time under federal law. The court held that the "Coordination of Benefits" (COB) provision in James W. Geissal's primary insurer’s plan did not allow it to refuse payment for his medical expenses just because he was also enrolled in another group health plan provided by his employer, Moore Medical Corporation. This decision clarified provisions within the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), which governs most private sector employee benefit plans and does not prohibit dual coverage or require a particular method for coordinating benefits between insurers.

In the dissenting opinion for Bonnie L. Geissal v. Moore Medical Corporation et al., Justice Breyer argued that the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) does not allow an employer to require an employee, who is already covered by a spouse's insurance policy, to also enroll in their own plan as a condition of employment. He contended that ERISA was designed to protect employees' rights and should be interpreted broadly in favor of coverage rather than limiting it. The majority ruling would potentially force individuals into unnecessary or unwanted additional coverage, which contradicts the purpose of ERISA according to Justice Breyer’s interpretation.